Golden State Warriors Draymond Green initially balked at a New Orleans Pelicans fan taunting him with “Angel Reese” chants during Sunday’s game at the Smoothie King Center.
But Green no longer saw the humor when the fan persisted with the chant.
“It was a good joke at first, but you can’t keep calling me a woman,” Green told reporters, via ESPN’s Anthony Slater. “I’ve got four kids and one on the way. He got quiet, though, so it was fine.”
Green would ultimately confront the fan sitting courtside during the second quarter, leading to a chest-to-chest confrontation that NBA officials intervened to break up. The incident occurred just after Green was called for a shooting foul on Pelicans wing Herbert Jones, with players from both teams lining up for the free throws.
According to eyewitnesses, the fan stood up and taunted Green again when he was called for a foul, triggering the Warriors star’s furious reaction.
Draymond Green’s Patience Tested
When discussing the fan’s response to Green’s approach, the Warriors star observed a major shift in the fan’s tone as soon as they engaged.
“He was talking at first,” Green said. “Then you get a little closer, and he didn’t really say much else. But it’s fine. We move on.”
Green then jokingly asked the media if he resembled a woman.
“Do I look like a woman to you?” he asked a reporter, who responded that Angel Reese, much like Green is a great rebounder.
“Yeah, for sure. [Angel’s a good rebounder]. Lisa Leslie was a good rebounder, too — she’s older than me. So, just don’t be disrespectful, and it’s cool. We move on.”
Warriors Win Third in a Row
Meanwhile, Sam Green, the fan who taunted Draymond Green, said that the Warriors star “threatend to punch” him over the incident.
“I wasn’t using profanity, and for him to walk 12 feet off the court to come and get in my face like that, it was a little unnerving,” said Green, via ESPN.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr tried to brush off the incident.
“As long as it doesn’t escalate, it’s fine [for a player] to go over and have a discussion,” he said. “It would have been nice if security had gotten there a little bit earlier.”
The Warriors (9-7) picked up their third win in a row on Sunday, following their back-to-back road wins against the San Antonio Spurs. Incidentally, the winning streak started when Stephen Curry returned to the lineup from an illness. However, Curry wasn’t the star of Sunday’s win, as he had an off-shooting night, making only two of his 11 shot attempts to finish with nine points. Instead, fifth-year forward Moses Moody poured in a career-high 32 points, including eight threes, to power Golden State’s win.
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